A strong blast of winter was expected to wallop most of Southcentral Alaska late Tuesday, impacting a large swath of the state but leaving Anchorage mostly unscathed, according to the National Weather Service.
The Pacific low pressure system moving inland could create blizzard conditions, forecasters warned. A blizzard warning was in effect from midnight Tuesday until mid-Wednesday from Turnagain Arm to Valdez and south to Seward.
The western and northeastern Prince William Sound regions as well as the Kenai Mountains and eastern peninsula could experience white-out conditions, blowing snow and winds up to 45 mph. Forecasters warned that residents of Girdwood, Moose Pass, Portage Valley, Seward, Whittier and Valdez could be impacted.
Some 6 inches to 10 inches of snow was forecast to fall. Visibility would likely be reduced to less than a quarter-mile, according to the warning. Forecasters expected conditions to "rapidly deteriorate" in the early evening Tuesday and improve early Wednesday morning.
Farther north, a winter storm was predicted to drop up to a foot of snow, possibly more, along the southern region of the Alaska Range and the Susitna Valley north and west of Talkeetna, the weather service warned.
Eastward, a winter weather advisory for snow was issued from midnight Tuesday through 3 p.m. Wednesday. Four to 9 inches of snow was expected to fall.
Other towns falling under the weather advisory included Glennallen, Eureka, McCarthy, Paxson and Slana.
If at all possible, avoid travel overnight and try to stay indoors, the weather service warned. If being outside was absolutely necessary, make sure to be prepared.
